Summer-blooming native plants for SHADE

Actaea racemosa - Black Cohosh

Part-shade to dappled shade; 6ft tall; mesic, organically rich soil.

In mid summer, tall spires of fragrant, creamy-white flowers rise above the lacy leaves of black cohosh and bloom until late summer.

This is a truly elegant looking plant and will make a bright statement in the shadiest of corners in the garden. It is long-lived with a well-behaved clumping habit but gets wide and tall so give it some space.

The flowers are highly sought-after by pollinators, especially bumblebees!

Agastache scrophulariifolia - Giant Purple Hyssop

Sun to part shade; 7ft tall; mesic to dry soil; sand, loam, clay.

Giant purple hyssop is a stately plant that adds an attractive vertical presence to the landscape. Its sturdy, upright stems are topped with clusters of pale purple flowers that bloom from mid-summer into fall. It naturally grows along woodland edges so in your garden it will do well in part sun to part shade conditions. It self-seed freely in open soil but if your garden is planted densely then it will just reseed lightly. Clumping habit.

The flowers are a boon for butterflies and native bees. Migrating monarchs are drawn to the tall spires of flowers. Excellent winter interest.

Ageratina altissima - White Snakeroot

Part sun to dappled shade; <4ft tall in shade,<5ft in pt. sun; adaptable to most mesic-dry gardens

White snakeroot has some of the brightest, purest-white flowers you will find. They bloom from mid/late summer into early fall and stand out wonderfully in the shade, especially when planted in large clumps. This plant spreads very prolifically by seed, making it a great choice for quickly adding wildlife value to large gardens or restoration projects. It is short-lived but colonies will persist by self-seeding.

The bright flowers beacon in pollinators from far and wide including small butterflies and native bees.

Allium tricoccum - Wild Leek

Amphicarpaea bracteata - American Hog-peanut

Anemone virginiana - Virginia anemone

Deciduous shade; <2ft tall; organically rich; moist, well draining soil.

The allure of the wild leek doesn’t end with its culinary value - its highly valued for adding pollinator value to shade gardens.

The leaves of this spring ephemeral go dormant by early-summer, at which point it sends up a slender stem topped with a globular cluster of creamy-white blooms.

Pair wild leek with late blooming plants that can take over once it goes dormant for the year. Spreads slowly to form colonies.

Bumblebees and small butterflies flock to the nectar-rich flowers. As a bonus, they are not preferred by deer!

Full sun to full shade; up to 5ft tall; moist to mesic; wide range of soils.

Hog peanut is an interesting plant that fills in a unique gap in your native plant garden. It is an annual, low-growing twining vine that grows quickly, fixes nitrogen and produces edible tubers and seeds! The nitrogen fixing part is rather rare for a shade plant so this certainly adds to its appeal.

This is a “spready” plant that doesn’t like to be told where to grow. It will spread prolifically in the right conditions but, fortunately, it dies back to the ground in the winter leaving no woody growth behind so this helps keeps it in check.

In mid summer, dainty pink to pale purple flowers emerge and can bloom collectively (individual flowers don’t last long) for 1-3 months. They are popular with bumblebees and small solitary bees. A handful of butterfly larvae host on the leaves and the seeds are eaten by birds.

Full sun to part shade; 3ft tall; dry to mesic; most soil types

Virginia anemone definitely doesn’t get enough attention in the gardening world. In the wild, it is often found growing in meadows but is also adaptable and can be found along forest edges, shady trails or clearings. In your garden it won’t thrive in full shade but will definitely be happy with only a few hours of morning or afternoon sun.

In early to mid summer, tall, skinny flower stems rise above the leaves and are topped with creamy, greenish-white flowers with green centers. To me, they look like clusters of little rockets reaching for the sky. Truly a unique look! The flowers fade to fluffy seed heads that remain until mid-winter.

The flowers attract small solitary bees in droves. You will be impressed with the amount of pollinator activity on these flowers.

Aralia racemosa - American Spikenard

Part shade, dappled shade; 5ft tall; moist to mesic, rich soil.

Spikenard is a showy, shrub-like perennial with bold leaves and an expansive form. It gives the appearance of a shrub but it is a perennial and the top-growth will die back to the ground every winter.

It has a well-behaved, clumping habit but needs space as it gets as wide as it is tall. Large clusters of small, but numerous, creamy-white flowers bloom in early to mid summer. By fall, the flowers have turned into clusters of small, red/purple berries that glisten as the sun catches them.

It is slow to come up in the spring so you may want to pair it with a low groundcover such as oak sedge.

The flowers are small but numerous and are popular with small bees such as sweat bees.

Asclepias exaltata - Poke Milkweed

Part to dappled shade; < 5ft tall; well-drained, organically rich soil

Poke Milkweed is a unique milkweed species because, where most Milkweeds need lots of sun, this one thrives in the shady conditions of forest floors and forest edges.

Unlike common milkweed, this one is not a prolific spreader and retains a fairly tame clumping form. Self-seeding is minimal.

In summer, droopy clusters of greenish white flowers are presented at the end of it’s slender stalks and have a delightful fragrance. Bold leaves and spindle-shaped seed pods keep this plant attractive even after the blooms fade.

Larval host for Monarch butterflies and an excellent nectar source for pollinators of all kinds.

Campanulastrum americanum - American Bellflower

Part to dappled shade; 6ft tall; rich, moist, well-drained soils

Blue can be a hard colour to find in gardens, but we are lucky enough to have American bellflower (not to be confused with the invasive creeping bellflower). This is a biannual plants that persists in the landscape by non-aggressive self-seeding. If you want it to stick around then you will have to let it self-seed into bare soil. For this reason it is hard to keep in one spot but it will surprise you by showing up anywhere in the garden that sees disturbance (like a hole your dog dug or a spot where you pulled out a weed).

Works well when paired with spring ephemerals that will have died back by the time this plant takes over.

The flowers are an absolute treat to have in the garden and bloom from mid to late summer, even in full (dappled) shade. Small bees flock to the blooms.

Circaea canadensis - Enchanter's Nightshade

Part to full shade; 2ft tall; most well-drained soils. Adaptable.

Enchanters nightshade is not often found growing in gardens on purpose due to its prolific spread and sticky burs. However, if you are a hardcore native plant gardener like me then you won’t mind reserving a special spot for this plant so your garden can benefit from its beauty and wildlife value. It spreads quickly to form a fine and reliable groundcover. The dainty flowers are small, but numerous, yet they light up the shade garden all the same.

The flowers mature into small burs so if this doesn’t sound right for your context then this isn’t the plant for you. However, if you have a spot where you can avoid the burs and let it spread then I’m sure you will find much joy in this enchanting plant. Alternatively, dead head spent flowers to prevent formation of the burs.

The leaves are a very popular choice for leafcutter bees who cut out oval sections of leaf to use as nesting material. The tiny flowers are perfectly matched for small pollinators such as sweat bees and hover flies.

Diervilla lonicera - Bush Honeysuckle

Sun to dappled shade; 3-4ft tall; most well-drained soils. Adaptable.

There are many reasons to love bush honeysuckle with its adaptability being one of them. It will grown in full sun to full shade and won’t complain about it either way. The plant in the above picture is blooming well on the north side of my house where it only gets a few hours of morning sun!

It spreads non-aggressively by suckers (easy to control) but very rarely by seed. It is a woody shrub but rarely grows taller than 90cm/3ft.

Both new growth and fall foliage take on stunning shade of red.

The yellow, trumpet-like flowers bloom from about a month starting mid-summer. Their long bloom time means they are a reliable source of food for bees or hummingbirds and a great way to extend bloom time in your shady garden.

Geranium robertianum - Herb Robert

part sun to dappled shade; <2ft tall; most well-draining soils.

Herb robert gets a bad reputation for being weedy but a weed is just a plant we haven’t found a use for yet, right?

This native geranium can be a valuable plant in the right situation. Not only does it bloom for a long time (summer into early fall) but it also plays well with established plants, filling in gaps where nothing else is currently growing. It is an annual who thrives in disturbed habitats so it will only persist in the landscape by self-seeding in bare ground. A great choice for naturalized areas or a back corner of the garden where it can run wild. It is very easy to pull out if it seeds into a non-desirable spot.

The small flowers encourage us to stop and appreciate the intricate beauty of nature. Take a closer look - they are really beautiful. They appear above lacy foliage in mid summer and support small native bees.

Helianthus divaricatus - Woodland Sunflower

Full sun to part shade; 6-7ft tall; most dry to mesic soils.

Yes, a sunflower for the shade! Woodland sunflower is the most shade tolerant of all the sunflowers and thrives in the part shade of woodland edges and under the sparse shade of savanna trees. It is a great option for gardens where growing other sunflowers is not feasible due to shade. It will also grow in full (dappled) shade but with reduced vigor.

It retains a slow-spreading clumping form but will self-seed itself into gaps, however it is hard to say no to a few extra sunflowers around the garden! The winter interest is exceptional as the sturdy stems remain upright through the winter.

The flowers support a diversity of native bees, including some specialist bees who won’t feed on anything else. The leaves are also a top host plant for the caterpillars of various butterfly and moth species.

Impatiens pallida - Yellow Jewelweed

Part shade; 5ft tall; wet to moist, organically rich soils.

Yellow jewelweed is a self-seeding annual that is well adapted to shady moist habitats. Its succulent-looking leaves and stems act as the perfect backdrop to its yellow, snapdragon-like flowers. It is typically best grown from seed as few nurseries carry it.

In moist soil it will self-seed prolifically, forming a mid-height groundcover. In drier soils it likely won’t self-seed at all.

Ripe seed pods pop open when touched, bringing out the child in all of us (I, for one, can’t resist touching the ripe seed pods to watch them explode)!

The flowers are a real treat to have around the garden and are highly attractive to hummingbirds and bumblebees.

Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower

Sun, part sun, dappled shade; 4ft tall; organically rich soil; needs consistent moisture, especially if growing in more sun.

Cardinal flower really steals the show with its elegance and beauty. The crimson-red flowers will catch your eye from far away and are unmatched in their vibrancy.

In the wild it thrives along woodland edges, moist glades and stream-sides. In your garden give it rich, moist soil and part shade and it won’t let you down. Don’t let it dry out.

This is a short-lived perennial that needs to be able to self-seed if you want it to stick around for more than a few years. Once it produces seedpods in the fall, scuff up the ground and remove competing vegetation from around the plant and it will happily self-sow itself.

The vibrant flowers are almost exclusively visited by hummingbirds but you may notice butterflies and nectar-robbing bees visiting them too.

Lobelia inflata - Indian Tobacco

Part - dappled shade; 2ft tall; moist to dry soils. Adaptable.

Indian tobacco is a common plant in the wild but certainly deserves more attention in gardens! It is a self-seeding annual with tubular, lavender-blue flowers that bloom mid to late summer.

Being an annual, this plant relies on disturbance and self-seeding to persist in the landscape. In other words, it need bare soil to seed itself into or it may not come back next year. It will freely (sometimes prolifically) seed itself into bare soil but is not competitive so it does a great job at filling in any gaps in the garden.

The small flowers are perfect for attracting small native bees and butterflies.

Lobelia siphilitica - Great Blue Lobelia

Part sun to full shade; <5ft tall; rich, consistently moist soils.

Meet the blue cousin of cardinal flower. With its rich bluish-purple, tubular flowers, blue lobelia offer a welcome and unique contrast the the sea of yellow blooms that are associated with summer.

Blue lobelia thrives in shady, moist sites and is well-suited to most gardens with rich soil that never dries out completely.

This is a well-behaved, clumping plant and a short-lived perennial that needs to be able to self-seed if you want it to stick around for more than a few years. Once it produces seedpods in the fall, scuff up the ground and remove competing vegetation from around the plant and it will happily self-sow itself.

The tubular blooms are almost exclusively visited by hummingbirds but you may notice butterflies and nectar-robbing bees visiting them too.

Lilium michiganense - Michigan Lily

Full sun to part shade; 6ft tall; rich, moist to mesic soils.

It seems almost too good to be true that such an ornate, and colourful flower can be found in the shade garden this time of year. However, Michigan lily blooms reliably well in part shade and even rivals even the brightest of sun-loving plants. In the wild they like growing in full sun and rich soil but can also be found along shady streambanks, forest clearings or moist woodland edges.

In my garden, they thrives with just a few hours of afternoon sun and I have even grown it in full (dappled) shade and had it bloom.

The flowers bloom in mid-summer and last for a few weeks. They are highly beneficial to hummingbirds, butterflies and native bees. Oh, and squirrels love them too so make sure you give them some protection!

Lysimachia ciliata - Fringed Loosestrife

Part sun to dappled shade; <4ft tall; organically rich soils.

The yellow, star-like flower of fringed loostrife are borne in profusion around mid-summer and help bring a taste of sunshine into the shadiest corners of the garden. In the wild, it is usually found in shady wetlands but it adapts very well to most shade gardens granted the soil doesn’t go bone-dry.

Spreads at a moderate rate by rhizomes and, to a lesser extent, self-seeding to form attractive colonies. Easy to control and much less prolific in full shade than part sun.

The flowers are somewhat unique in the sense that they produce floral oil, not pollen, therefore supporting specialist bees that search for floral oils. A great way to attract a diversity of bees who otherwise wouldn’t visit your yard.

Monarda didyma - Bee Balm

Sun to part shade; 4ft tall; rich, moist soils.

Bee balm is already familiar among most gardeners but usually thought of as a sun-loving plant. While it grows well in sun, it prefers making its home in partly shaded sites like woodland edges and shaded streambanks. The rich red blooms provide a colour that usually isn’t associated with shade, making it a unique addition.

It likes to spread freely by rhizomes but its spread is much more tame in the shade compared to the sun. Use it as a transition plant from a shady area to a sunny area and it won’t disappoint.

The jester-hat-like flowers are a huge hit with bumblebees, clearwing moths and hummingbirds. the leaves and flowers can be used for tea.

Rubus odoratus - Purple Flowering Raspberry

Sun to full shade; 6ft tall; most rich, well-draining soils.

Purple flowering raspberry stands out from other raspberries with its pink rose-like flowers and bold maple-like leaves. In the wild, it can be found growing in the part shade of deciduous woodlands, forest edges and glades. Although it blooms most abundantly in full sun, it still puts on a great show in full shade - you won’t be disappointed.

The suckering habit of this shrub means it is best for large gardens, restoration projects (especially erosion control) or in a context where you can remove the suckers each season. The little bit of work keeping this shrub contained would certainly be worth it.

The flowers bloom all summer while providing a buffet for all types of native solitary bees and bumblebees. The hollow stems provide nesting opportunities for small native bees. The raspberries it produces are smaller than commercial raspberries but with a more concentrated flavour.

Scrophularia marilandica - Late Figwort

Full sun to full shade; 6-7ft tall; prefers well-drained sandy loam but very adaptable.

While not ‘showy’ by traditional horticultural standards, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better nectar plant than late figwort.

This stately plant brings versatility to the garden as it adapts to full sun or full shade and all but the wettest of soils. It reaches impressive heights, even in the shade, and has a rigid, upright form, bold foliage and has spectacular winter interest with its seed heads.

Its tubular, burgundy and green flowers have a long bloom time and will happily bloom from mid summer into fall.

It attracts an impressive number of bees and solitary wasps (non-aggressive) during its long bloom time of mid-summer into fall.